


Rewards

by Taeryfai



Series: Live and Let Avenge [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bitterness, Casual Use of Strong Language, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, Death, Gen, Grief, Guilt, Happy Tony Stark, Haunting, Humor, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Doctor Strange (2016), Rhodey has to put up with them both, Sacrifice, So much terrible before we reach the light, Spidey Sense, Strange puts up with him anyway, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony has a Problem, Tony is Ridiculous, Tony is bitter, Tony is insufferable, Tony-centric, Vision knits, attempted exorcism, ghost - Freeform, knitted jumpers, not team Cap friendly, not the most friendliest to Wanda, spoilers all around, they love it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-05 10:01:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12187857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taeryfai/pseuds/Taeryfai
Summary: Team Captain America were not the only ones to escape the Raft. Due to the results of their actions, Tony Stark is now dead and he's coping surprisingly well as a ghost. Aside from when he isn't.





	1. Rhodes to Being Heard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silver_drip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_drip/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Consequences](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6946930) by [silver_drip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_drip/pseuds/silver_drip). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Potential Trigger Warning: Hammer had set off a bomb, people died, it's not pretty... it's not really graphic but there's enough.  
> Grief.

He was dead. By Hammer.

A sense of detachment appeared to come with being dead as he looked at what used to be his mangled body unfeelingly. He was okay with dying, he would have preferred if he hadn't but he had resigned himself to the fact someone was always trying to kill him and his sheer amount of almost deaths he was going to have to go at sometime and he couldn't always be so lucky.

But by Hammer? Seriously. Justin Hammer had to be the one who killed him? The incompetent fool who did not even have the redeeming points of being badass or remotely impressive. Justin Hammer was the floundering kid who bragged but had nothing to back it up, he would have been the one both ignored and belittled within boarding school. Wait, he _was_ that kid, well that explained a lot.

He would have almost preferred having been decapitated by Captain Assface, even if it meant Rhodes wouldn't have received his leg braces. At least then he would have some semblance of bragging rights rather than a stain on his reputation. And he would have been the only one to go.

The children he had been giving a speech to, some of them passed by him like stars. He muttered his apologies that he couldn't have saved them. Apologies that he hadn't been able to predict this, and stop this. That he had not thought to bring more suits.

One suit could only save one, and he hadn't picked himself... but he hadn't picked these children either and they were paying for his mistake.

He had saw Peter and chose him in a split moment, but in saving Peter Parker he sacrificed so many more. He had brought him here; a sign of what he could do other than risk his life being a hero. Peter must have sensed something wrong as he reacted before the bomb even detonated, as he yelled "Mr Stark!" and made his way to the podium that's when Tony had spotted the bomb.

A Hammer one, those were dangerous as they were so unpredictable. He hadn't stop to think, he had sent the armour at Peter despite FRIDAY's pleas. Peter wasn't allowed to die by playing hero. Not for him. The bomb exploded the moment Peter was encased and sent back.

But Peter wouldn't have been there if he hadn't been there; neither would any of these kids. Neither would the bomb. He should have sent the suit at the bomb but he had panicked at the sight of Peter getting too close and all that was going through his head was ‘Not Peter'.

He had been selfish and now it was too late. But Peter was okay and that must count for something. They all passed by, some giving him sad smiles at his apologies as they went. Peter had been released from the armour and was sobbing. But at least he was alive. He was a lucky one. The ones who passed him weren't. Fifteen children he counted. Fifteen bright minds who were going to do great things, but were cut short because he panicked. The others were tutors, some he recognised from his own time at MIT, others just so young. There was twenty-two stars that passed him by. Twenty-two people who would have lived if he had not been there. Then he was left in this state between two worlds. Alone. Until he wasn't.

"You weren't supposed to die this way." A woman.

"And these kids were?" His voice was tense and far too loud. He was angry. He would have died a hundred times rather than these children. Gone through Afghanistan, the wormhole and Siberia till he lost his mind rather than kids.

"You are important to your world." The tone soft and considering. It was angering at how matter of fact she made it, how as if none of them mattered compared to him.

"Not any more than them. They are the world to their families. The future to the world. I'm not important to the extent I outweigh any of them." "Everyone comes to me in the end. But very well, I've heard enough. I shall grant you a reward, my Merchant. After all you do not need to be alive to help your world."

"What?" His voice no longer sounded quite like his. "Oh, the amount of paperwork I'm going to have to do for this." She muttered. Then it was too bright, too much pain. Like he had his life flashing in front of him but only the bad parts and so fast that the agony all merged together. Then there was nothing. 

* * *

 

Until he woke up in the Tower. And he was still dead.

He could not place how he knew, it was just a knowing. The kind you get in dreams where you just know and understand. There was none of that Sixth Sense or Beetlejuice nonsense of thinking you were still alive. At least in Beetlejuice they had the ‘Handbook for the Recently Deceased’ to help them figure out what next. He figured he knew he was dead as he had seen his body, he could not have mistook it for a dream when there was just this feeling of wrong.

But he could not be fully dead either as he was still here. It was like his very soul had been rubbed raw and red, but he still existed. However there was just this hole, a consuming emptiness where something used to be. And he was not talking about his body looking down at his incorporeal self. It was something else. Something important.

He just did not know what part of himself. But it was gone.

He supposed he was a ghost now, unfinished business and all that.

Guilt maybe, he was good with guilt, so much of it he could sink a helicarrier with the weight of his guilt.

The television was on.

“ _Last week, America was horrified at a terror attack at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology which resulted in the death of Tony Stark, seven MIT lecturers and five of the graduating class,”_

Twenty-two. He had counted twenty-two stars that passed him by... but here they were saying that... he couldn’t believe it but he wanted to. There had been fifteen children not five. He stared blankly at the scenes, the presenter’s voice fading in and out of white noise.

_“The images are graphic... Ten graduates are still in critical condition... councillor have been quoted that it was a miracle that as many survived as they did... some were pronounced dead at the scene however... lost of limbs... Doctors are working desperately to save... Stark Industries are providing medical funding and equipment... Doctor Cho’s revolutionary Cradle...”_

He wept. He should have died earlier, in Siberia, these causalities, fatalities... they could have been avoided. They could have been avoided.

He could not say how long he had been there in this room. Time seemed to pass differently when you were dead, too quickly as if he had been watching a time-lapse. No one could see him though, Pepper had drifted through the room several times. Dressed in black, hair pulled back and mouth strewn shut. Her eyes each time he saw them were just painfully empty as if she herself was a ghost.

If he had thought seeing Pepper hurt, seeing Rhodey hurt more. Although he loved Virginia Potts and James Rhodes both, they were different people, they took things differently. Where Pepper became blank, Rhodey raged and showed hurt so raw it would have killed Tony to see if he was not already dead.

Time slowed back down when he was with Rhodey, he could not bear to leave Rhodey’s side when he was hurting so much. Technically he took to haunting Rhodey. Rhodey stayed in the tower, something Tony could not quite understand as when his parents died he could not stand to see any reminders of them. Rhodey however could not stand to forget for a second.

Rhodey was trapped in his wheel-chair with his anger and his pain. When Rhodey first let out a scream of animalistic lost in his grief when he was finally alone in the pent-house without the people who shadowed him as if to protect him from himself, Tony screamed too and the lights flickered.

That’s when Tony learnt he could control his environment to an extent. Technology acted a little odd around him which scared him as he did not want to hurt his baby girl, not FRIDAY. Thankfully it appeared to be the case only when he was overly emotional or when he pushed himself into the technology. Slowly he began to reach out to Rhodey, to make him realise he was still here in a sense, to stop him from hurting. It was hard but sometimes when Rhodey was almost asleep or deeply concentrating he appeared to hear him. He did not understand a word he said but he could tell it was him, Tony. Rhodey never really took the thought of hearing him well. 

Tony found that as opposed to haunting a location he haunted several people, he could interchange them and shift to them when thinking enough about them, it did not work with everyone as he had experimented to see who he could see. He couldn’t haunt Bruce, nor Thor nor Natasha. Surprisingly nor could he haunt Pepper. He found this out when thinking about Peter, nothing ever said anything about him, he needed to see how he was coping. Then suddenly he was in the boy’s bedroom. Arachnid Kid was trembling holding onto his surprisingly beautiful aunt, and he recognised the look in the boy’s eyes. He had seen it far too often in the mirror not to. Guilt. Regret.

“He saved me, it’s my fault he died. If I had only stayed back...” Tony couldn’t bear it; he wanted to tell the kid that it was not his fault. Peter did not deserve this, Tony should not have invited him, he had just wanted Peter to see other options, other ways that he could help others aside from putting his life on the line. What was the point in his good intentions when they never worked out for the people he cared about. “Peter, it’s not your fault.” Tony gritted out despite knowing Peter wouldn’t hear him. Peter reacted strangely though the moment he spoke, tensing up and eyes darting around the room. Tony was confused until he remembered the spider sense Peter had briefly tried to explain. What if it picked up on more than just danger?

“I would die a hundred times over just so that you could live Peter, so you better live Peter. Don’t let my death be in vain, buddy. You’re good, better than good. Great even so live, don’t put your life on the line be a kid. Please just be a kid before you be a superhero.” Tony pleaded for the message to get through whatever barrier there was between the ghostly and the living. As long as he did not take anyone with him, he could deal with a hundred deaths... somehow he had a feeling that he had died a hundred times over. 

* * *

 He almost screamed when he was pulled from Peter’s room to elsewhere. That’s when he learnt he could be forced from his previous haunting to another and that it hurt.

“We killed Tony Stark, we killed Tony Stark.” It was that ant guy, the want to be Jiminy Cricket. He was half surprised he even recognised his voice as he had heard it what, twice?

“We killed Iron Man. You should have just left us in the Raft. We broke the law, we stay in prison. Sure, no trial but they could not keep us in custody in any old county jail as hey we destroyed a whole airport with minimal effort. A trial could have come later. But no we had to escape and leave the doors open for the really bad guys. We killed Tony Stark.” Panic, regret, rambling and finally a hint of someone realising they may have been wrong and that all blame did not lie on the shoulders of one Tony Stark. Even if it was a little too late. Who even was this Jiminy? He should just go home rather than be involved in this so called media dubbed ‘Civil War’ as did he even know what was up?

“Tony Stark was the one who locked us up in the Raft in the first place. He brought about his own death.” Wanda all but sneered. Seriously, why hadn’t anyone given her a mental health test, she really was not mentally stable enough to work on a team who was supposed to save lives. You would think a hint of rational thinking would be a requirement. He would have to try and get that down for future use.

“No. We brought his death, Hammer got out because of us, we knew he was out but did nothing. What kind of heroes does that make us.” Clint’s voice was odd. Small. Resignation painted his features. It was strange to think he cared, that anyone cared, after the 'Civil War' he had figured caring for the team was one-sided on his part, but despite everything Tony felt Clint must have cared somewhere at the practically inaudible “We killed Tony.”

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Sam echoed. Where was Steve in all this?

“Stark deserved this.” Wanda stated. Well he was not normally one to argue against all the pain and suffering he deserved but... the implication. Did she really think it was alright that these kids died, real kids who had just finished education to set off into the real world, innocent kids, not whatever she made her terrorist faction joining ass to be. That these children’s deaths were okay just because he got taken out as well.

Then the witch had to go and use her voodoo, he did not know what for (it could have been to pick up her drink) nor did he care. Fuck magic and fuck mind control. He was angry. He stepped in front of the red vapour which was just so much clearer and obvious now he was dead, red tendrils just floated around her constantly even when she was not actively using her powers. To his surprise it bounced off him and ricocheted back into her crimson mass. She jolted with a gasp, her eyes turning a greenish grey and the red around her shrunk a little.

He had always assumed her eyes were brown, he guessed he used her powers nigh constantly to get that effect. Exerting herself must bring forth the unnerving red glow.

“Wanda?” Sam sounded so concerned, perhaps he was being petty but he was dead so he figured he could give himself some slack for once but he hated that never had this team, his so called ‘family’ used the same concerned voice for him. His real family was with Rhodey. 

It was a relief to be gently pulled back to Rhodey even if seeing his best friend like he was painful; it was better him than the fugitives.

* * *

He could not quite keep track of time, but Rhodey finally lost some of his anger. Rhodey just could not hold onto it any longer and he broke, he was there when Rhodey wept and he tried to hold him. He could not. The sprinklers came on.

Tony had learnt to move items, it was hard and some days he was more solid than others. He had done so after Hammer appeared on television, the news stating that he still not having been caught. Clint Barton had been though, on some twisted mission to absolve his guilt by killing Hammer. He had acted alone.

He guessed Clint did care after all. It should have really been more comforting rather than wrenching like it was. He wondered if ghosts could vomit, he felt like it. Clint had been retired, he should have been with his wife and children as opposed to yelling as heavily armed and armoured (Stark armour he noted) service-people dragged him off. How many service people were causalities to Barton's revenge?

"Tony was my friend! Hammer needs to pay..." Tony flinched at the word friend, too many bad connotations. At least someone on that crap-bucket of a team had considered him one. He figured he had been their scapegoat or the photograph they used as a dart board rather than a friend. 

Shame he only had to get himself _murdered_ for them to think him as one. If only he known that his death was all they needed to like him. "I need to..." Clint finally seemed to stop struggling and he became subdued. Somehow this was worst than seeing him rage. Tony closed his eyes, he shouldn't care. They should have lost that right... dead people weren't supposed to hurt. They weren't supposed to be in pain anymore but here he was. "Tony was my friend. But I wasn't his."

Tony kicked a chair. And it fell down.

And his world opened up.

* * *

 

James 'Jim' Rhodes stared. Toilet rolls covered the floor, when he had went to sleep this floor was clear. But that was not the thing that had him staring, the rolls spelt out "Rhodey".

He had put off the small technical mishaps such as the lights and sprinklers as FRIDAY's grief, put off other items as his own. This was something else. Something which called back to his MIT days.

"FRIDAY, was there...?"

"Records indicate no-one was here."

"Call the Ghost-buster."

Rhodes could almost hear the 'Ghost-buster? You break my heart, Platypus.' but this time he did not ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's unsurprisingly hard to get to the lighter elements of the haunting when there's carnage and pain. So I figured I'll cut the story into parts. Now a key question is, if Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice in universe, does he have a lookalike who's the Vulture? Same with Sylvester Stallone, does Stakar just happen to look like Sylvester Stallone or is the actor in Rocky different? Because Rocky is definitely a movie in the MCU judging by Cap's list.  
>    
> Death's rewards were keeping Tony dead, because he is vital to fate of the universe and balance (Thanos needs defeating as without life there is no death) she was just going to give him another go at life but he put the graduates as equal so she decided to send them back to their bodies for another go. Some died anyway as their bodies were too far gone, others have a second chance and will make it.  
> He had to go through a trial through fire, he wanted to go through Afghanistan, the wormhole and Siberia repeatedly just for these kids to have the chance. So Death took him up on it. This is what happened in the week he had between watching his death and waking up in the tower, it's part of the reason why he's missing something. He doesn't remember his trial as he cannot defeat Thanos without his sanity and heart.  
> His rewards aren't the best and are not much of rewards but they're more than many others could dream of.


	2. Strange Happenings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Not Wanda friendly

"So you're being haunted." Stephen Strange was on the other side of the phone. Rhodes had first met the guy when he removed the shrapnel from Tony’s heart but they had travelled in similar circles for years. He had been a bit of a prick, full of well-earned self confidence in himself and his skills.

Stephen Strange had been an amazing surgeon, until he had a car accident and with the lost of his ability disappeared off the grid.

"Yes." When Strange had returned on the scene he was apparently a full-fledged magician or something. He would have dismissed the claims as a mad-man in shock at the lost of his hands. But after Norse Gods and Wanda Maximoff the witch, he was willing to be a bit more open-minded to a magic user.

Rhodes honestly did not know what Strange was supposed to be able to do, however Strange had offered a point of contact following Tony’s death, the world needing more help than ever apparently without Tony there. Rhodes agreed with that, without Tony he could not see the world surviving another full-blown disaster with just fugitives with little resources (if Hawkeye was anything to go by) and Vision. War Machine would be no help, not for a long time, not with his legs. If ever again.

"And you called me because?" Strange just had this tone of voice which annoyed him as if he was placating him or trying so hard not to sound as bored as he clearly was. If he admitted to himself, part of the reason it riled him up was because it was so familiar. It reminded him of Tony. He tried to move pass the sharp jab of pain at the thought and think back to the task at hand.

What was Strange calling himself again? It was some pompous sounding thing. Doctor Superior, no it had alliteration. Marvellous Mage? “Sorcerer Supreme."

"Ah, that small thing. If I had known exorcisms were a part of the deal... very well. I expect at least some flowers for my trouble." Strange sounded the definition of nonchalant, Rhodes was torn between liking the guy and disliking him because of the reminders of what was lost. It was not fair to dislike someone just because they reminded you of someone you had loved.

"How soon could you get here?"

"How soon is this?” Rhodes only just bit back a shriek, of all the things he had not expected a portal to open up beside him and for Strange’s head to peer out of it. Clearly Strange did have some proficiency in magic and it was not all talk, well at least he had not made a wasted phone call.

“Oh, I see your ghost problem. Remarkable really, I have not seen anything quite like it. Astral projection, people stuck out of their bodies, the main thing that connects them is the fact the bodies are alive, but an actual bona fide ghost.” Strange smiled looking almost fond. “Tony Stark, always having to be the first.”

* * *

Stephen Strange. The first thing Tony noticed was the beard. At last he had someone who shared awesome facial hair. Aside from the fact he was a ghost and he did not know what he actually looked like aside from what he could see, reflections was a thing of the past and so potential could be his beard.

The second thing was that normal transportation was apparently not good enough for Strange anymore, but hey if you could use fancy glowing portals then you may as well use them. Even if Strange was apparently now blasphemous by having denounced science and claimed magic as his calling. Tony felt personally offended at the thought, even if he now was not exactly science's greatest friend considering his state of person.

The third thing was the fact he was looking straight at him as if he could see him. But that was too good to be true.

He pulled a face and stuck out his tongue at Strange, who wrinkled his nose. “Mature.”

“Fucking shit on a blanket.”

“I’d prefer not to.” Apparently as well as seeing him, Strange could hear him too.

“Okay, very important question, does my beard look okay.”

“As brilliant as my own.” Strange did not even have to consider it for even a moment, that’s how Tony knew that his beard was still magnificent. Although he had his first so Strange copied him on that front therefore his was more brilliant.

“I can die happily now, wait, already dead.”

“You’re surprisingly nonchalant about this.”

“No changing it so going to have to liv-deal with it. Besides I don’t sleep so the only thing that is haunting around here is me. I also do not really have a body so no adrenalin, no heart pounding. I'm literally detatched.” Strange looked at Tony speculatively.

“So I’m assuming there is a ghost, who happens to be Tony and you’re having a conversation. But I could be wrong and you could just be talking to the voices in your head, in which case could you refrain from doing so? I had had enough of crazy magic people. I would just like a sane one for once so even if you have to be a little outlandish, hold back on the crazy.” Ah yes, Tony had forgotten for a moment Rhodey could not hear or see him as caught up as he had been in the fact someone finally could interact with him.

“Ah. That explains several things.” Explained what exactly, what did the great Sherlock of Hogwarts deduce?

* * *

 So now he had to pick out a really nice bouquet of flowers for Strange, which he resented.

That was not what he really resented though, what he resented was the fact apparently wizardry had all the answers. Using super special magic techniques he could appear visible to the living when he wished, something to do with astral projection and the likes.

He resented that the ‘mystical arts’ had answers when engineering and science, logic, did not. But overall it was great interacting with the world again, even if his pride was wounded how relatively simple it was to do so and he had not figured it out.

Back to the flowers though. Irises were supposed to mean compliments, wisdom or friendship so he supposed he could send Strange a bouquet of those. He would probably appreciate the wisdom element. Of course it had to be the best money could buy... maybe he’ll just get the guy some plant-pots instead of a bouquet as it’ll last longer.

Orchids were nice too.

Screw it. He’d just buy Strange a nursery worth of potted plants just so he would have no room to say he did not get anything, and FRIDAY could agree that he asked for flowers. 

* * *

 “Wong.” The aforementioned man looked up from his desk.

“Stephen.”

“My room.”

“What about it?”

“It looks as if someone opened a portal to a jungle in there. Flowers, everywhere.” Wong just looked at him unyieldingly.

“The question is who got them there.” Stephen continued when Wong offered him no answer.

“Was there not a note from who had done it?” So calm and collected. Stephen’s jaw jerked slightly in mild annoyance, in a moment of self-reflection he had to wonder whether he could be this annoying. He dismissed it.

“The culprit is obvious. I want to know how.” Stephen held the tip of nose.

“You stole my tea; I lend assistance to a fallen hero who has saved New York sanctum on a previous occasion, no matter how unknowingly.”

* * *

It was amazing how healing it could be to have your friend back, even if it was as a ghost. Which was weird, but still not as weird as the fact he had been haunting him for a while and had watched him sleep for hours on end like a creep.

Upon learning of Tony’s new ghostly form, Pepper gave him a stack full of paperwork to fill out as payback for dying on her and leaving her with the mess. Then her stoic façade broke a little and she tried hitting him as she yelled at him for leaving them. Rhodes could not blame her for being angry at Tony for dying as he had done the same no matter how unfair it was. But he came back which was far more than most people ever got. The look Tony gave them told them that he understood and did not blame them either. It did not mean they did not feel guilt in blaming him for his death though.

Rhodes, Pepper, FRIDAY and the bots were the only ones aware of Tony’s new existence as a ghost. Well aside from Strange, which speak of the devil.

“Stark.” Strange exited a portal sending Tony a most unamused look. It was kind of disconcerting how easily all security was bypassed but Rhodes was honestly just impressed Tony was still doing shit to annoy people when he lacked an actual body.

“Dumbledear, how kind of you to drop by. Although you should really learn to knock, you don’t want to walk into anything salacious.” Tony replied with an easy grin, one which spoke that he knew exactly what he had done but was going to feign otherwise. Rhodes barely held back a snort, by the look on Strange’s face he had failed.

“I don’t appreciate what you have done to my room.”

“You asked for flowers, Gandalf.”

“Not for a garden centre, Caspar.” Rhodes just watched with a sense of impending doom as he realised that there was now two of them.

* * *

Tony told Rhodey that he was going on a business trip; Rhodey and Pepper were overall much better now they knew although dead he was not gone. It was nice to see them less grief-stricken, however in the back of his mind he only wondered if it was really for the best and whether he was just forcing them to put up with him. Whether he should allow them to move on by leaving.

But he was selfish. That was probably why he was back in Wakanda.

Turns out there was some truth behind vengeful ghosts, as ever since becoming one he had never felt so bitter. When you did not have to eat, sleep or have much responsibilities you could really mull over things. He decided to get his petty revenge, because he knew that was what it was but to be honest this was nothing. Most revenge attempts on him involved attempted murder until someone had to succeed.

Thinking about it now, most revenge attempts against him were unnecessarily drastic and rather uncalled for.

Killian, he blew off loads of people who approached him whilst he was drunk at a party, hundreds even and they did not try to kill him. Talk about overreaction. Killian could have always gone through the proper means of securing an interview if he really wanted to have a meeting with him.

Vanko, a grudge that Vanko’s father had on his father because of some stolen something or other was not really a good reason to kill him. Hank Pym may have a grudge against Howard Stark aside from casting Tony with the same brush as Stark scum, it was not ideal but hey he had not really attempted to kill him or anything.

Wanda, yes it was traumatic and he felt bad about it, he had not fired the bomb nor had he even sold it. When he had thought that a lamp post had killed his parents, yes he had knocked it down and then melted it, but he had not gone after the company CEO who had allowed the lamp post to be put into production in the first place. He sure as hell did not join a terrorist organisation of his own free will to be experimented upon. Who knows what else she did to get into HYDRA, they weren’t the nicest of groups and that was an understatement. He knew what it was like to see a Stark bomb fall into his lap. He also knew if it did not explode it was not meant to be there.

He should cut her some slack but he was dead. If he was not allowed to let out frustrations when he was dead when could he?

And that was why he was going to be an asshole. He decided to start slow and mess with the whole of Crap-ton America’s team before going for individuals.

It was simple, all he had to do was play some music.

‘ _Now the time is here_  
_For Iron Man to spread fear_  
_Vengeance from the grave_  
_Kills the people he once saved’_

Tony hummed along enjoying their reactions. The spooked looks and the way their faces paled at the sudden lyrics was something of beauty. “Turn it off.” Steve demanded, ever the authoritative one, looked at the offending radio on the table which had ‘mysteriously’ turned on. How spooky, Tony wondered how it could have happened.

‘ _Nobody wants him_  
_They just turn their heads_  
_Nobody helps him_  
_Now he has his revenge’_

“I said turn it off.” Scott Lang obeyed looking at the strained look on Steven Roger’s face with something that looked akin to apprehension. Tony felt surer than ever that this Ant fellow had bitten off more than he could chew when he signed up for this, he even seemed an alright guy. He would almost feel pity for him as he just did not seem to understand thinking ahead and just acted.

However he was dangerous with his short sightedness and that suit of his, treating the fight at Leipzig like a playground, tearing out random wires of the Iron-Man suit. It was a miracle Lang had not killed anyone with his actions. The whole of this team seemed to have a problem with consequences; they seemed to think they did not exist or rather than they did not apply to them considering how dismissive they were of them. Had he sheltered them too much by taking the brunt of the blame and cleaning up their messes?

Well look at him now, was that a big enough consequence for them? Look at Rhodey. Look at the MIT graduation class of twenty-sixteen. He wanted to applaud them with all the sarcasm he could muster.

“How did it even turn on?” He returned to Wakanda several times, he took his bitter and petty enjoyment in blasting AC-DC at them during random intervals although it did not always make him feel better.

For Wanda and Scott however he had special punishments. Lang did not really understand the significance behind AC-DC so he had to make do with early Bieber. Wanda just did not care however for some reason really despised Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ (she _liked_ early Bieber), so it just seemed to always play around her somehow. In the end he stopped as he did not really want to hurt them, it was funny the first few times but despite everything seeing their upset faces still pained him. Although he may have continued with Wanda and Lang’s, in the end he stopped as she kept blasting the music players after a while which whilst amusing it seemed like a waste. Also Lang may have ended up humming ‘Friday’ once and nearly got attacked. At least he smuggled out the footage from the security cameras to rewatch it.

* * *

Clint. What to do with him?

He was rather surprised that no-one had attempted a rescue mission yet. Not that it would do any good considering they would not know where to look for him. The Raft was out of the question seeing as how good it had gone last time, Hammer may still be at large but now Tony was supposed to be out of the way he seemed content to stay low. Other people who were at the Raft who could escape were more blood-thirsty than Hammer.

He had claimed responsibility for Clint; or rather Pepper did so for him. He did not know why he did so, perhaps out of nostalgia or misplaced feeling that he was part of his team, but it did not change the fact that he did. Those who had been considering what to do with Clint seemed almost relieved at having him off their hands and the thought that he would be confined in a state of the art facility under the guard of an Iron Man suit. Although they did not like the fact Stark Industries was still holding onto the suit even now Stark was dead.

Clint looked willing to fight when he was transferred to his new containment, always so willing to fight. Until he saw the Iron Man suit (being remotely controlled by FRIDAY) and for a moment there was relief and hope until he slumped realising it was empty. Clint just looked so lost and broken as he was lead to what was a quarters meant for him in the tower.

He was warned that if he attempted to do anything such as break out he would be responded to with non-lethal but probably painful force and any luxuries will be removed. If he injured anyone in an attempted escape they may be permitted to respond with lethal force, an unwanted but a potentially necessary precaution, as Captain America’s team had already proved themselves to be willing to use lethal force themselves.

He was reminded of the Raft which made him flinch. Whether it was because the Raft was a terrible living arrangement or whether it reminded him of who they had released and the results of their actions, Tony could not be sure.

Clint just seemed to ghost around the quarters and stare blankly, and when he wasn’t he was angry. Angry at himself, angry at his team, angry at Hammer and angry at his arrangements. Tony could just not bring himself to involve Clint in his petty revenge not when Clint acted so pathetic, it was like kicking an orphaned two-legged puppy.

Instead he offered him the chance of communicating with his family, via video links or voice. That proved to be more punishment than any of his pranks could have been. His children aside from the youngest did not really want much to do with him at first as he had abandoned them, again, to become a criminal they saw on television. To see fighting against service men as he attempted to avoid capture. The taunts they had received from classmates at how their Daddy was a villain had tainted their vision of him. Tony made arrangements to move the Barton family as if the other school children could recognise Clint Barton as their father then other people could do so as well.

Wasn’t death supposed to be peaceful? Who ever made that up obviously had not lived as a ghost dealing with people who did not stop to think.

He still did not know what to do with Clint.

* * *

 He was onto individuals now.

He was starting with Wanda, he had never really welcomed her with open arms like the others had, probably due to her almost obsessive hatred of him. He had never really liked her but had not hated her; he did not have the time to put effort in hating her when he really had more important things to do.

He still did not hate her, but she had sent Vision through far too many floors for him not to mess with her. Besides it would probably be for her good as she could not grow unless she let go of the rage that consumed her, oh who was he kidding, he was doing this for himself just because he could.

He watched her for a while, she seemed to almost realise he was there as her wispy red magic seemed to recoil away from him which was interesting. She talked to her brother at times which made him figure out his plan. He showed himself to her.

“You. I must be dreaming.” She stated, alone in her room which was showing looped footage as he was not quite sure whether cameras picked him up when he was visible.

“Dream of me often, my little witch?” He sent a smirk her way and watched as her fists curled up glowing red.

“Of your death, it brings the sweetest night’s sleep. At last my dream has come true.” Well that was not concerning at all, the twisted little smile on her face at her statement made it all a little disturbing. They had let her on their super squad? How and why?

“Calm down crazy.” Tony replied ignoring the red she sent at him seeing as it just rebounded and she hissed out.

“You killed my parents!” Well, that was wrong for one. It was sad but he had no part in it, if his company had sold flowers the bomb would have just had a different name on it. Now if it was Hammer’s then Wanda would not even be here as the fact it did not blow just showed it was not supposed to be there and that he actually knew how to make a bomb that would not detonate until supposed to. Now... the Winter Solider really did kill his parents, perhaps James Barnes did not but the Winter Solider did. He chewed on his lip, it was best not to think about such things as the lights flickered somewhat.

“It is part of the reason I stopped the weapons business as it’s tiring sending every bomb individually and plotting where I wanted them.” He responded with sarcasm. “So you admit it!” Did she not understand sarcasm? But he had planned for this.

“Slow down, hear me out here. I wasn’t aiming for them I was aiming for you and your brother.” That shocked her out of her rage and she gawped at him in an amazing impression of a gold-fish.

“What. What have we ever done to you?” Her voice sounded a lot smaller now.

“For first things it was a Tuesday, Tuesday is revenge night. Secondly it’s what your mother done.”

“Which was?” She was a lot more willing to listen when he claimed to be as evil as she said he was. What did that say about her?

“Aside from wasting my oxygen and existing? Your mother had the gall to get my order wrong. I asked for no pickle and she. Gave. Me. extra. She deserved to die. But I’m a kind man and was only going to kill her children in front of her instead to teach her a lesson but I missed and killed her instead. I was going to kill you and your brother too afterwards but I was bored as I figured my revenge was complete and nothing cures boredom like traumatized orphaned children. Although you’re not really an orphan as I only killed one parent.” You know, he should not really be using her trauma in his petty revenge and claiming to be behind her parents’ death for the most ridiculous and unnecessarily evil reasons he could think of. For a while he did blame himself, she used her parents as an excuse herself against him enough to get the stupidest of things. He was only treating them with the same respect she showed them.

“I thought both my parents died that night.” She was accepting what he was saying despite the hammy way he was saying it. His acting was not that good. Was she that desperate in her belief that he was behind all her troubles? That was probably why he went that extra step.

“Oh Wanda. I don’t think I accidentally missed you and your brother as how could I kill my own flesh and blood?” The horror on her face told him that she actually believed him which was beyond ridiculous.

“No. That’s not true.”

“Oh yeah, I totally porked your mom. I thought we had something special seeing as she was the mother of my children but she had to put pickle in. I thought she knew me better than that but obviously she only paid attention to a certain part of me. I had to kill her you see.”

“No. Nooo.” It almost seemed like she had taken tips from Luke Skywalker in terms of reacting to paternity news.

“When you were twelve I was the one who ran over your dog.”

“Y-You monster.” Oh god, she would believe anything if it supported her belief that he was darkness incarnate.

“Call me Daddy.” She looked ready to vomit. He would have stopped but he wanted to see how far he could take this. He was beginning to understand why super villains liked to monologue so much.

“You want to know a secret, daughter? ‘Merchant of Death' wasn’t my nickname it was my title. I was imprisoned in a mortal body as punishment for unspeakable deeds. I had to be killed by an outside source to regain my true evil power so I could not just off myself, did not mean I could not do evil in my mortal form just not so much as I cannot have fun in prison. But now I am free of my mortal body - I have transcended death.”

“No.”

“ _Yes_. I shall wreak havoc upon the world, upon Sokovia, a plague of death that had been held back by the mortal body that bound me, shall at last be released. Thank you by the way, couldn’t have done it without you. Peace out.”

She was still screaming when he decided to return to Rhodey.

* * *

 “Mr. Gandalf the Cape.” Strange closed his eyes briefly, Stark knew he did not like to be referred to as mister. That was probably why he deliberately used it.

“Doctor.” Stephen responded it was habit by now to correct people.

“Doctor Gandalf the Cape. Do you know how to melt stuff with your hocus pocus? Because I need to know how to do so, for reasons.” A single raised eyebrow was all Stephen decided to grace Stark for an answer.

“Or you could do it, unless you can’t.” Did Stark really expect him to fall for his reverse psychology. To do him a favour after he completely filled his room with plants (which proved to be surprisingly helpful in the end though he would hate to inform Stark of this) and called him mister.

“You totally don’t know how. Supreme Mugwump and you don’t even know how to melt things.” Admittedly he did not, they normally worked in other ways as opposed to straight up melting items, he had not been Sorcerer Supreme for that long either. He practically was thrust into it out of necessity.

“Give me a couple of hours.” He relented partly as it was a challenge, and he wanted to see what Tony would do with the knowledge of how to melt things.

“Why thank you, Dr. Strange.” Tony gave an overdramatic bow.

“You’re welcome Dr. Stark.” Stephen did not even hold back his small grin before he cursed inwardly. Tony Stark had grown on him.

* * *

“My shield.”

There it was in all its glory, he did not know how it had gotten there. He assumed it was sent to him as a gesture of good will as he was a hero and they needed him. The death of Tony was unfortunate, unforeseen but if the shield was a sign. It was probably better for them that Tony was dead.

It sounded terrible as Tony had been his friend and he had felt terrible at his death. He had let Justin Hammer slip through his fingers after all. However Tony’s pettiness must have been the reason why they weren’t welcomed back, holding back the chance to get home.

Tony tried to be a hero, but he had been holding them – the real heroes – back. Trying to implicate restrictions on who to save, stopping them from returning home as he could not accept that he had been wrong, locking Wanda in her room. Stark had been good... but misguided and unable to follow Steve’s instructions like he was supposed to.

Then the shield combusted in front of his eyes. Freak accident? Or a sign that maybe, just maybe, they did not want them back. He dismissed the second although he had to wonder how it managed to set alight. The shield would be fine though considering it was vibranium. Or not.

He attempted to save it but he could not as it was far too hot. Even super solider serums could not handle the heat so he chose his hands over the shield.

He watched it melt, the shield that represented him as a hero. A symbol of his greatness. Who was Captain America without his shield? Did he have to lose everything? First he lost Bucky again to cyrosleep after only just getting him back, although Tony had tried sabotaging his efforts into getting Bucky. He had lost Peggy, their home of the compound, he had lost Clint and he had lost his benefactor and last link to Howard in Tony. Lastly he had lost Wanda to madness as she began claiming Stark was her father and the waves of red magic had gotten too much. T'Challa had a special room prepared for her so she could not hurt herself or anyone else.

Watching the molten vibranium slowly cool, no longer recognisable as his shield he could had almost sworn he heard manic cackling but he dismissed it after seeing no-one. The new shape of his shield was not even round anymore, the only thing that hinted it as having once been his shield was the fact that it was vibranium.

* * *

Scott was easy, Wanda’s trip into madness was Lang's breaking point. He wanted out of Wakanda, out of Team Crap. All he had to do was whisper ‘Go back to Pym’ and Scott was on the way back, catching his way back shrunken on a jet plane to New York. Hope Van Dyne and Hank Pym were plenty enough punishment for him, as weren’t happy with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of pushed the idea I had of Tony claiming all evil doings in there from a separate comment that inspired this one. So sorry if it's a little cracky.


	3. Visions of Something Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to A03reader, FayeDuLake, Constance_Truggle who’s comments really helped in this chapter :)

Tony was quite honestly annoyed with how long Hammer had stayed in hiding and was not found. So he decided to ask Hammer very nicely to give himself up. In person.

He had learnt a new trick much to Stephen Strange’s horror. It was not a nice trick, his ghostly form as well as looking as stunning as he did for a press conference could also look like what his corpse looked like if he willed it. His corpse was not pretty and not all in one piece. He was quite willing to show Hammer his new trick.

He found Hammer huddled away somewhere with his back against a desk and appeared sitting next to him.

“Who you hiding from?” Tony asked conversationally. Hammer jumped and stared at Tony with horrified shock. Tony sent him a grin which stretched a little too wide and eyes that were a little too manic.

Hammer scrambled away, pointing at Tony whilst seemingly trying to gasp out something. Tony stood up leisurely and slowly walked towards him. “Is this any way to treat an old friend?” He asked calmly.

“You’re dead. I killed you.” Hammer managed to stammer out.

“Oh, that you did. Firstly I would like to apologise for being a jerkass to you at boarding school.” Hammer lost some of his fear to appear gobsmacked. Tony’s grin turned wicked. 

“Secondly, I’ve come to return the favour.” Hammer did not seem to like Tony’s party trick very much considering the way he screamed.

* * *

Vision... Tony had put off interacting with Vision as he had never really felt comfortable with him.

It was JARVIS’ voice. Sometimes when Vision spoke, he just blissfully forgot that JARVIS was gone and just hurt and confused himself, Vision and FRIDAY. Dear FRIDAY, he had to explain to her that she was more than JARVIS’ replacement, that you can love siblings equally and all that jazz. JARVIS had sacrificed himself to make the android, Tony was not the only one behind the decision, JARVIS had the right to choose and choose he did.

There was a part of JARVIS in Vision, which was one of the reasons that made Vision as much a part of his family as any of his other AIs or bots. He guessed he could not help resent Vision a little for not being JARVIS, for being a reminder of what was lost despite knowing how unfair it was.

Vision had not asked for anything. He was as new as his baby girl FRIDAY but far more naive and innocent. He had not all the access FRIDAY had so he grew slower. He did not have Tony’s constant love, attention and teaching to help him grow. It was not fair. Part of the reason he had avoided Vision was that he knew he was being terrible. Rhodey would not have ever fallen if he had just given Vision the same care as he did FRIDAY or any other of his creations. It was never Vision’s fault, the fault lied between Tony and Rhodes. Rhodes who gave the order and Tony who did not give as much as he should. Vision was so young and who’s only field experience was Ultron, he should have been personally training Vision as opposed to expecting the other Avengers, Wanda, to do it.

He had figured, Wanda had her powers from the same thing, they should train together. It had clearly been a mistake.  
Wanda had excelled in harm but not the saving aspect as was evidenced by the whole mess leading up to his death. When Wanda was on defence, Lagos, her powers played bad. When Wanda on offense, throwing cars at him, throwing Vision through floors, messing with everyone’s minds, her powers played good. Well it was obvious what she had the most practice in.

And he had left Vision to her.

Vision who in the face of his teammates attacking him used non-lethal force and restrained them, Vision who had offered Ultron mercy. Vision who had still cared for the witch who had utterly betrayed him, for what, through harming him as she choose his attacker over him. Vision was so innocent and soft hearted (despite it probably being made of Vibranium) and he had left him to a witch who excelled in harm, failed in saving.

He had given Vision a place to live, books and all basics he might like but he had failed Vision where it mattered.

He did care for Vision though. Not as a part of JARVIS, but as himself. He had realised that when he went after Wanda first for putting Vision through so many floors as opposed to Steven Rogers. He felt inclined to worsen Clint’s punishment for the way he so callously attacked Vision and perhaps prompted Wanda’s attack. He had all but gave Wanda her cue.

Perhaps it was a little too late but he was going to start putting effort into Vision now, the way he should have from the beginning.  
He went to Vision.

* * *

Vision was staring at the hole he had been thrown though when Tony had tracked him down. Now that was not healthy. Perhaps Vision would like Malibu? Tony had his Malibu dream house (which when he said it like that sounded like it came out of the Barbie line) rebuilt as how could he not. He loved the warm and sunshine of Malibu, a happy yellow opposed to the cold greyness of New York. Better still, the Avengers weren’t aware of it anymore. Vision should be far away from Wanda.

He bet Vision would love Malibu. Then he would do something about the hole. Perhaps he would put glass where the hole was as a bitter reminder of what Wanda done, so the Avengers could be reminded when they came back. As they would come back, skittering like cockroaches. He found contentment that they would probably not be welcomed back and would probably break in to get their stuff. Stuff which would be so kindly donated as what did they expect a shrine to them?

Or maybe he should just burn the compound down, or let Vision do it, it could be therapeutic for him to get rid of the reminder of the utter betrayal.

“Hey Vis.”

“Sir?” It was the sirs really that were the painful reminder of JARVIS that had caused him to redraw away from Vision. “You were supposed to be dead.”

“I would say that my death was greatly exaggerated but that would be a lie. I’m a spooky ghost, fear me. Also please call me Tony.” Vision turned and looked at him in childish fascination and a hint of amusement.

“You don’t look spooky, si... Tony.” Vision gazed upwards for a moment. “I had wondered if there was a life after death when you died, I had hoped you were at peace as some of my research said. There was no factual evidence though.” Tony knew he was a terrible person then, dear Vision had to research about death on his own for some comfort. And Tony had forgotten him when he had checked up on people.

“I was not alone, FRIDAY was there.” Good girl FRIDAY, thank Thor (he had taken to saying thank Thor for it had amused Thor whilst Thor had stuck around) for FRIDAY.

“You shouldn’t stay here, Vis. It’s not healthy.”

“FRIDAY remarks that you were never good at healthy.”

“Don’t be me, be better.” He held out a ghostly hand. “Let’s go home, Vis.”

“I don’t know what home is.” Tony was slightly in shock that Vision could actually physically take his hand. Was it something in the way he phased through walls? Also wasn't that the saddest statement he had ever heard.

“What do you think about Malibu?” When Vision nodded, Tony put his fingers to his mouth and blew.

“I’m not your lap dog, Stark!” Strange stepped out of a portal looking highly annoyed, Vision looked at him in interest.

“But you still came. Look, holding hands!” Tony exclaimed excitedly holding his and Vision’s hands up in triumph. Strange’s annoyed expression turned interested and he had his science face on. “Now, to Malibu!”

Strange gave a groan of disbelief and incredulously held his palms up to the sky. “What do you think I am?”

“A valued friend and my awesome facial hair bro?”

“I hate you.” Strange groaned pinching the bridge of his nose. Tony whooped in victory and still holding a bemused Vision’s hand, led him through a new portal to the Malibu Mansion. DUM-E, U and Butterfingers would be great company for Vision.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rhodey enquired looking at Tony and Stephen, who were holding hands as both looked over their respective paperwork.

"Research." Stephen answered simply creating a mini portal to grab his drink close to where their hands were entwined as opposed to letting just letting go of Tony’s hand. Tony looked enviously at the coffee; he had not been able to drink it since dying. It was one of the things he really missed about being alive, the others things he decided to gather in Malibu, where he was now.

Rhodey groaned and gestured at their hands; Tony looked at him with a grin and waved over Vision with his free hand. Vision obliged after carefully placing a post-it note marking the page in the knitting book he was looking over, closing the book and taking it with him over to Tony. Tony took Vision’s hand pointedly. 

That’s when Rhodey realised what he was looking at.

“You can hold hands!” Rhodey said in astonishment and delight, holding hands meant Tony was gaining more control with the physical world. Whereat he could briefly interact with objects, with anything living he just passed through which was an uncomfortable feeling.

“Fifteen minutes seem to be the longest he can hold hands.” Stephen stated turning a page of his book, Rhodes looked at Stephen. They had held hands for that long? And by the sounds of it, this hand holding attempt was not the first.

Tony let go of both sets of hands and absentmindedly took the knitting book when Vision held it out to him. Rhodey’s eyes widened slightly and he grinned, Tony nodded to Vision’s choice. Vision looked pleased at Tony’s approval.

“Hold me James!” Tony stated when he handed Vision’s book back to launch at Rhodey who was laughing.

* * *

Peter Parker was astounded to be asked to go Malibu, his aunt was asked to accompany him. He figured it was a private funeral for Mr. Stark, but Happy Hogan looked far too much like his nickname for it to be that so he was just confused.

He was not that confused when he saw a transparent Tony Stark and a whole team of people waiting for him there.

“Mr. Stark made an AI and hologram of himself in case of his death?” Peter stated in astonishment. Tony looked at Colonel Rhodes.

“Damn, how come I didn’t think of that!” Colonel Rhodes sighed and decided he would have to take it from here as of course he had to be the sane guy in the group.

Peter and his Aunt May listened in some disbelief, but they had evidence right there, that Mr. Stark was now a ghost and he had all but adopted them both (as Peter came with his Aunt May as a two-pack deal, all or nothing, because now he was dead he had to follow other’s rules for once) according to Colonel Rhodes. He also would not stop pestering everyone else until they came to Malibu, as he wanted all his important people so he could look after them. May was surprised to see how she was included in the number, but it must have been because of Peter.

She guessed she could accept it all, she had seen the way Mr. Stark had chosen Peter over himself. Peter was speaking to other members and he eventually went closer to Colonel Rhodes and Aunt May.

 “Aunt May, I’m Spiderman.” May revised her opinion, she had seen the airport footage, there was no doubt who took Peter there. Mr. Stark was lucky he was already dead. She turned an angry glare towards him.

“Anthony Edward Stark.” May stated through gritted teeth.

“Full name.” Peter said anxiously.

“She used my full name. Shit.” Tony Stark murmured and promptly turned more transparent until he vanished. May gave a huff of anger and turned her attention towards Peter.

“Peter Benjamin Parker.” Peter gulped. Tony gave a small huff and reappeared.

“Fine, I can take it. I’m dead anyway, what much harm can it do.” He had tried to explain that he had only brought Peter along as he was good at non-lethal restraining people, and he had thought the other side was supposed to be their team. He had been wrong. Aunt May was having none of it, quite rightly so Tony supposed, and ripped shreds out of him. He was lucky not to have a body otherwise it may have been literally.

* * *

“I was wrong. Your aunt is crazy scary, she almost exorcised me. Then I would have been all dead.”

“Aren’t you all dead already?” Peter asked much to Tony’s delight.

“There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.”

“Go through his clothes and look for loose change.” Rhodes added on receiving a high five from Tony.

Stephen looked at Tony with a quirked eyebrow. “You set that up so you could make that reference didn’t you?”

“So what if I did?”

“What’s it a reference to?” Peter asked and all three men looked at him in acute horror.

“FRIDAY, activate Protocol Dread Pirate Roberts.”

And so Tony had made sure Vision and Peter were introduced to the Princess Bride, those who had already watched did not mind a re-watch. It was nice to take time to relax for once.

* * *

Everyone was wearing a knitted something when he had left them again to go bother those who think one-hundred and seventeen countries did not have a say in whether they wanted ‘saving’ or not. The knitted items were Vision’s doing, Vision did not need sleep either although he liked to sleep. Of course Tony being Tony had to ask whether he dreamt of electric sheep. Tony liked having someone to spend time with during those times and he tried to be helpful when it came to knit.

He was not the best though, especially seeing as it was so time consuming and feeling drained the knit hooks would just drop from his hands, he settled for conversation and helping Vision understand the instructions. He supposed it was a stamina thing, with practice he could get better at holding and moving stuff.

He was so good when it came to moving stuff in his revenge because it always worked better when he was angry, and he always finding new things to be angry for when it came to them. The recent reason he decided to go back to tormenting them (when he had stopped because he was busy with people he actually liked) was because Peter was precious and May had brought up injuries he received from the airport. That Peter had passed it off as somebody hitting him, some guy called Steve.

That had him remembering the footage. That Steve had purposely dropped that massive weight on him, without knowing the kid’s abilities. That could have easily been murder. So easily. If it had been anyone else, but apparently Captain America did not care unless you were named Bucky or were useful to him. Look at Wanda, he was so affront at her being kept in a place she called home for her own safety but he was apparently okay with locking her up in Wakanda when she became a danger to him. Peter played it off as if it was nothing and said that Captain America said he had heart.

But telling Peter that he had heart made it better? He distinctively remembered Clint saying a certain someone told him he had heart too in one of those rare moments he was willing to talk about what went down in the battle of New York. Loki told Clint the same thing.

He wondered if he should drop a note about that to Clint. Clint had mellowed a bit after he had (or rather Pepper) allowed Laura to see Clint. Laura had wailed on Clint just as May had wailed on him. Clint would probably have a good few choice words to say.

* * *

 He started small again, let Steve think he’s going mad from guilt. When Steve was in the shower and the mirror steamed up he happily wrote ‘You Killed Tony Stark’ in the glass.

Then he thought of the greatest punishment. Steve’s ‘Bucky’ no longer needing him. It was kind of concerning the way Rogers would not seem to accept Barnes as a new person but rather he had to be the one he remembered. In a way getting Barnes away from Rogers and off of ice was doing him a favour. So was getting rid of those triggers.

Tony was going to help James Buchanan Barnes so hard that would be nothing left for Rogers to try to fix to soothe his hero complex. He was going to destroy ‘Bucky’ by giving James Barnes the chance to choose who he wanted to be. And in killing the triggers brutally he would be getting rid of the weapon that killed his parents. It would be almost therapeutic.

Although he still really wanted to cut off the other arm for strangling his Mom. Couldn’t he just replace both arms instead of one? He was absolutely going to replace the one he blew off with something that screamed Iron Man to spite Rogers if Barnes would let him. Having no body really cut back a large part of the rage he felt towards Barnes. It was bad of him thinking of using Barnes as a weapon to hurt Rogers but hey he would be helped and his own person as an end result. That had to count for something.

He would also replace the Captain American exhibit with an Iron Man one. Because he could and it would be glorious.

Speaking of which... he managed to collect the remains of Captain America’s shield (with help and most of the floor around it), because if the King of Wakanda supported those who ignored one-hundred and seventeen countries who did not what these people to come and go as they pleased, Tony would come and go from his palace.

* * *

Tony was not pleased. He really wanted to wear the beautiful jumper that Vision had made him for days. But he could only manage half an hour at most whilst otherwise not interacting with the world in general. His jumper was in War Machine’s colours.

Just like Rhodey had Iron Man’s colours as per his request, Rhodes had groaned and commenced in staring very avidly at the table which he tried to suffocate himself with at the thought of ‘couple’ jumpers. Tony took that as a good sign and bought Vision plenty of red and gold to knit with, with just enough white and blue to make the arc reactors that Vision had so lovingly done on Tony and  
Rhodes, plenty enough for everyone.

As he had claimed every one of these people and he may as well announce that they were his by making them wear his colours. Vision gave him a look and a small smile which told Tony that Vision knew what Tony was up to but was going to go along with it anyway. In fact Vision seemed quite pleased to be claimed as one of Tony’s own.

“I believe I know what home is now.” Tony could have cried ugly happy tears. In fact he may have but no one could prove otherwise, it was just ectoplasm.

Stephen devised they could try and kill the jumper to give it ghostly form, but how do you kill a jumper? Stephen lamented at the fact he too gained a red and gold jumper to his collection, along with fingerless gloves with knitted repulsors, he wore them though and the cloak was delighted to be remembered by Vision and to gain little coverings for the cloak’s clasps.

All the bots received a little scarf which wrapped around their arms. Tony figured Vision was such a good brother for them to have and so thoughtful as well.

Everyone wore their knitted items for a big group portrait including Tony, even if he was more of a floating jumper unless you knew what to look for and looked closely. It hung in the pride of place and it was all worth the threatening enough to get together and wear the stuff Vision knitted. All worth it indeed just to see how happy and proud Vision was to see them all wearing his jumpers. After he got them to wear them, they just wore the jumpers as they were comfy and warm. Tony considered it a job well done.

Using science and the mystical arts together Stephen and Tony found a way to convert the jumper so Tony could wear it forever if he so wished. They were very proud of themselves for such a mundane task. Even if Vision and Peter were the ones to actually solve it, they were just going to ignore that.

He was also proud he had managed to bring Harley and his family into the fray and they were great enough to actually stay in Malibu until the Parkers who would visit but stayed in Queens. Rhodey scolded him telling him that he had a problem with the way he had to collect people. Tony tried to play off the dead card by saying "I regretted not doing it when I was alive." Rhodey was totally onto him though.

* * *

 He decided to turn the remainder of the shield into a new Iron Man helmet to be the pride and joy of his new Iron Man exhibit. He also made sure to make it really obvious where it had come from with the insides of the helmet painted the same way as the shield.

When Steve Rogers saw the new Iron Man exhibit on the news, with the star attraction being the helmet which was very obvious where it originally came from. He thought he was going mad as he had seen the shield melt. Of course he had told or shown anyone else the melted shield stuck to his floor, what would they think? If he had pretended the shield was not molten mess then he could keep people’s faith in him whilst try and get another one. No one would have to know better.

He ran to check. Nothing there. Had he imagined it all? Was it a dream?

But he remembered it being there, stepping over it in the morning to leave the room, carefully avoiding it. Not letting Sam, the one guy left aside from Bucky who was in a cryogenic chamber, see it.

He also remembered that building the exhibit was in. Didn’t he have his exhibit there? He went to talk to Bucky in his cryogenic chamber, it always put him at ease talking to Bucky without having any judgement or answers. To just talk. But Bucky was not there.

* * *

 “Okay let’s teach you boys to drive.” Vision looked at him dubiously, whilst Peter looked at the ceiling wondering why he had even gotten in this car. Harley sighed wondering why they had to be connected. When Mr. Stark had offered to show them how to drive they had not expected him to be behind the wheel.

“Mr. Stark, I don’t really think a disembodied person should really be driving.” Peter voiced eying up Vision in some panic.

“There’s no rules against it.” Mr. Stark stated with a slightly manic grin.

“That is because you’re the first, I am sure there is soon going to be rules against it.” Vision answered simply. Mr. Stark waved off their concerns.

“Practical demonstration.” Mr. Stark said cheerfully beginning to drive off, fairly well for a ghost they had to admit.

“What about Rhodes?” Harley asked.

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

“Old reference, I get it.” Tony looked at Harley affronted. “But I meant Rhodes, you started to drive off without him.”

“Oh shit.” Tony murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hammer isn't dead, Tony just gave him a strong incentive not to escape again. 
> 
> The last section I just hung in there as I just really wanted to fit it in somewhere as yay a pun. Also the end, yay.


End file.
